Calico Illustrated Classics: The Red Badge of Courage
about was too much One night as he lay in bed he knew his fate He got up and went to see his mother Ma I’m going to enlist Henry don’t be a fool his mother replied She then covered her face with her quilt and refused to continue the conversation Nevertheless the next morning Henry had gone into town and enlisted in a company that was forming When he returned home his mother was milking a cow while four others stood waiting Ma I’ve enlisted There was a short silence The Lord’s will be done Henry she finally said before moving on to the next cow As he stood in the doorway with his soldier’s clothes on his back he had seen two tears leaving their trails on his mother’s cheeks He had prepared a beautiful scene for the day he left but her words destroyed those plans 8
You watch out Henry said his mother Take good care of yourself in this fighting business Don’t go thinking you can lick the entire rebel army at the start You can’t You’re just one fellow among a lot of others Keep quiet and do what they tell you to She packed him some shirts socks and blackberry jam I don’t know what else to tell you Henry Be careful and choose your company wisely There are a lot of bad men in the army She sighed Don’t do anything that you’d be ashamed to let me know Henry Keep in mind that I’m watching you and I suppose you’ll come out alright Her speech wasn’t anything like he thought it would be He felt a sense of relief when it was over Still when he looked back from the gate as he left he saw his mother kneeling among potato peelings Her face was stained with tears and her lips quivered As Henry headed off to Washington his spirit soared His classmates were impressed 9
with his news and girls seemed drawn to the sight of his blue and brass uniform His regiment was fed and fussed over at stop after stop So much so that he had already thought himself a war hero As the crowds of well-wishers swelled at each stop he felt the strength needed for war growing But after arriving at camp his regiment had done little but sit still and try to keep warm The veterans had called the new recruits fresh fish and filled their heads with tales of great bloody battles He couldn’t tell if they spoke the truth or lied without remorse As the tales grew so did Henry’s worries He no longer doubted he would eventually see battle Now he had to convince himself that he wouldn’t run away from any such battle Panic and fear grew in his mind with the passing of each day As he daydreamed about the battles he’d face he saw hideous possibilities It wasn’t all glory 10
He sprang from his bed What’s the matter with me he said aloud Jim walked into the tent Are we going to see battle for sure asked Henry You just wait said Jim It’ll be the biggest battle ever fought Henry stayed silent for a long time Jim what do you think the regiment will do Tom Wilson entered the tent They’ll fight all right once they get used to it Think anyone will run asked Henry A few may run Tom said But that happens in every regiment You can’t bet on nothing None of us have been under fire yet Do you ever think that you might run Jim Henry laughed as if he meant it as a joke Tom laughed along The tall private waved his hand Well if a whole bunch of boys started running I’d run 11
